Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A couple of days ago I posted a message about the Great Stocking Give-A-Way sponsored by the members of the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE). Here is a slideshow showing the three stockings and the goodies that will be included!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Not sure why they call it Black Friday -- maybe it is because the sales start before daylight! Not for me, though. I don't like crowds!!! I'll be helping my sister paint a backdrop for my niece's wedding on Friday and getting together with friends on Saturday. The backdrop is to go behind the table where the wedding cake will be at the reception and will cover up some industrial looking windows.

But for all of you folks who are looking for sales and bargains, Etsy - Your place to buy and sell all things handmade - is have a special HOLIDAY SALE and I've chosen to participate in it. If you have been wanting something from my shop but putting it off, now is the time to buy. The prices listed shown are still full price, but I'm offering a 20% savings on every item purchased between now and November 30th. You can either send me an email about what you are wanting to purchase and I'll send you a revised Paypal invoice, or you can pay the full bill using the Etsy Paypal payment system and I'll refund the 20% to you. Also for any orders totalling over $50, I'll pay for the shipping. So come on over to http://ashpaints.etsy.com and see what catches your eye. Allow an extra 5 days for personalization.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

You can win a great holiday stocking filled with beautiful items made for you by some of the talented members of PCAGOE plus a gift certificate from the members of the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy.

For each item that you purchase from one of our participating members’ Etsy stores from Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009 until midnight Eastern Standard Time on December 12, 2009, your name goes into a drawing for one of three great stockings filled with beautifully handcrafted polymer clay items plus a gift certificate good for merchandise in any participating member’s Etsy store – all provided by the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy. Just go to Etsy and search for PCAGOE Team or click on the PCAGOE logo above. Some of the participating members are listed below:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

As I've been mentioning for a while now, I've been working on a tutorial for my Hollow Dome Christmas Ornaments. I'm delighted to announce that it's finally ready! This tutorial takes you through the steps of modifying a base structure, through creating the hollow core, to decorating that hollow core. While I've written it with ornaments in mind, you could use a smaller base structure and make a pendant or pin instead. This is a great way to use up any "scrap clay" that you have as well as all those canes and stacks that you've made.

The tutorial steps you through three designs in addition to building the core and includes a additional "inspiration" pictures. There are over 40 pictures and 13 pages. Plus, of course, you have me pretty handy by email to answer any questions you might have.

The great thing about this design is how light weight it is while still looking substantial.

I will be listing this tutorial for $8.00 in my Etsy store tonight but, as promised, for anybody who emails me direct before December 1st to order and mentions the blog, you will get this brand new tutorial for $6.00 as a thank you for your support and encouragement. My email address is arlene.harrison(at)gmail.com or you can send a paypal payment to harrisonhollow(at)windstream.net.

Friday, November 13, 2009

I've been working on the tutorial that I mentioned to you earlier this week and it has occurred to me just how much I learned and all the different places I've gotten inspiration since I started working with polymer clay. I look back at some of my early work and realize just how far I've come in just a few short years and I have to thank a LOT of people for that journey. I've taken classes and don't get me wrong, classes are great and a lot of really good information is often packed in. But I've learned as much or more just from the sharing of information between other people who are learning just as I am.

Members of my local guild, Central Mississippi Polymer Clay Guild, has been challenging me to learn and do things well beyond what I would have ever thought I could do when first I picked up a block of clay.

Members of that guild have also encouraged me to take classes from teachers that scared the stew out of me but who all turned out to be great ladies and giving people.

Members of my online guild, Polymer Clay Artist Guild of Etsy, have shared how they do things, what works and what doesn't, where the best resources are and their monthly challenges have me trying things that I would not otherwise have tried.

Although I don't get over there as often as I would like, the Clay-Polymer Yahoo group is also a great source of help and inspiration.

And since I've started blogging, I've found a lot of you out there who share what you are doing. I have joined Cindy Lietz's online newsletter with a video every week. Worth every penny!

I am now following a number of blogs and enjoy reading about the challenges that other artists, polymer clay and other mediums, go through in pursuit of their art.

So to all of you who have shared your journey, have come along for the journey with me and enriched my life in the doing - Thank You!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A few posts back I had included a few of my new domed Christmas ornaments and had gotten some questions about them. They are hollow – making them very lightweight. They are made over a “core” which gives you a lot of flexibility in your designing. And finally, yes, if you want to make them smaller, they would make a perfect pendant! And they are an excellent use for any scrap clay you have laying around.

In response to several requests, I have put together a tutorial for the Hollow Domes Christmas Ornaments which I’ll be adding to my Etsy shop soon for $8.00 as an Adobe pdf download. For those of you who are loyal followers of my blog, I’d like to make you a special offer. If you want to pre-order this tutorial, send an email to arlene.harrison (at) gmail.com and I’ll send you a Paypal invoice for $6.00, a $2.00 savings off the Etsy shop price. Be sure to mention in your email that you read about it on my blog. The tutorial should be finished and ready for download by Friday, November 13.

Also as a special thank you, everybody who purchases this tutorial before December 1, 2009 will be entered in a drawing to win one of the Hollow Domes Christmas Ornaments featured in the tutorial.

Friday, November 6, 2009

It's been a busy week at work so I've not had much time to really think about anything else. But as the week winds down and the weekend is approaching, I'm thinking clay!

I made a personalized ornament recently and my sister said - you know what would be cool? Use the ornament as a gift tag this year, then the person who gets it can use it as an ornament next year! How's that for a gift that keeps giving?

Here's the ornament that started this train of thought. This one is for my sister Sherry who loves red and collects angels. The stamped images and letters are filled with an acrylic glaze in a copper tone.

So what do ya'll think? Is the ornament as gift tag idea is a good one? I've already made several more. One for the sister who made the suggestion! She loves dragonflies. So guess what's on her tag/ornament? Yep! That's right -- a dragonfly! Each one is just a bit different but appeals to what is special to each of them.

Hmmm..... I'm thinking about butterflies! Wouldn't that make a great tag/ornament?

Monday, November 2, 2009

Every month the members of the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE) have a "challenge" designed to spark our creativity and add a new dimension to our body of work. The theme for this month’s challenge is Metallic Showdown. PCAGOE members were challenged to create something using metallic clays and/or metal in the design. We've got some great entries this month and they run the gamut from classic to futuristic. For a better picture and to vote for your favorite, click on the linked text below.

OK I've done my part. The rest is up to you. I invite each of you to go to PCAGOE.com, see the prizes that are going to be sent to five randomly drawn lucky voters, check out all of the entries for this month and place your vote. Voting begins on November 1 and runs through midnight EST, on November 7. Come join in the fun!

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Welcome to the wonderful world of polymer clay! The purpose of this blog is to be a place where I can share my love of anything polymer clay with whoever is interested enough to come along for the journey. I'll share what I'm working on and my successes (and failures). I'll also be sharing pictures of some of the great jewelry, beads and office and home decor items that I have available for purchase in my Etsy and Artfire store.

You can check on my recent work and things that haven't made it to the Etsy and Artfire stores on my Flickr picture site. If you mention the HHD blog, I'll refund your Paypal account 10% of the total cost before shipping.